China: Daylight broke over northern China today to reveal scenes of devastation reminiscent of a war zone after two huge explosions ripped through a warehouse terminal killing at least 44 and leaving up to 400 injured.

The blasts in the port city of Tianjin, which sent fireballs soaring above the city’s skyscrapers, detonated with such force that they registered on the Richter scale and were visible from space.
At least 11 firefighters are known to have died in the blast about 90 miles from Beijing with 32 other people in critical condition after the explosions which ripped through the city at around 11.30pm local time.
The blasts, originating at the Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics Co for hazardous material, turned buildings in the immediate vicinity into charred, skeletal shells and left hundreds of cars reduced to husks.

The fireball swept through a parking lot of up to 1,000 new Renault cars, blowing out windows and ripping off paint. According to the firm which owns the warehouse, the entire facility covers half a million square feet and has up to 70 employees.